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Hawkins ISD Board of Trustees

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Preliminary budget: $9.406-million; "Robin Hood" to cost $2-million
By JOHN SPARKS

Meeting on Monday, July 21, the board of trustees of the Hawkins Independent School District approved a preliminary budget of $9.406,000 for the 08-09 school year. To achieve the projected budget trustees are considering a property tax rate of $1.14 per hundred dollars of property valuation.


The proposed tax rate of $1.1426 is two cents higher than 07-08 and includes $1.00 for the M&O operating budget (Maintenance and Operation) and 14.26-cents for I&S debt service (Interest and Sinking Fund). Projected 08-09 revenue for the district is $9,609,000 which would create a budget surplus of $128,000.

Because Hawkins ISD is located in an area with a "wealthy" property valuation, the district is considered a Chapter 41 district by the state. Chapter 41 districts must share their local tax collections with districts located in areas with less property wealth. For 08-09, that Chapter 41 payment for Hawkins ISD is estimated to be $2,091,263. This Chapter 41 money is sent to the state for distribution.

A public meeting on the proposed budget and tax rate will be held Monday, August 11 at 7 p.m.

In considering the budget, trustees first adopted changes in the salary structure as well as raises for teachers and staff. Trustees approved a recommendation by Business Manager Robert Fair and the administration to add a 23rd step to the salary schedule (plus $530 over Step 22) for teachers, librarians and counselors. They also adopted a recommendation to increase each step by $1,230, or 2.5 percent and raise existing salaries by a similar amount, resulting in a five percent increase in salaries for the contracted educators. Administration and auxiliary staff will also receive a raise of approximately five percent with half of that coming in the adjustment to their relative pay schedules.

A scheduled update on the renovation and construction program was tabled due to the illness of Brice Davis, architect.

The board accepted the resignation of band director Randy Taylor and approved the hiring of Burdette Glady as band director/teacher.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the HISD Board of Trustees is set for Monday, August 4 at 7 p.m. The public meeting on the budget and tax rate will be held Monday August 11 at 7 p.m. Special meetings of the board may be held with 72-hour advance public notice

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 April 2009 15:29  

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